Funding Fight Boosts Odds of Shutdown

Sep 19, 2013 1:46 pm ET

By Kristina Peterson and Janet Hook

A Republican a bill that would fund the government for the first 2 1/2 months of the fiscal year while barring spending for the health-care law is expected to pass the House Friday. But a likely bitter fight in the Senate increases the odds of a partial government shutdown in less than two weeks.

Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) predicted “a big victory” for the legislation in the House while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) made clear he was as determined as the GOP to play hardball on the funding bill, which is needed to keep many government operations open after the start of the new fiscal year on Oct. 1.

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